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In a music buying industry now dominated by iTunes and music streaming sites such as Spotify, Napster, Pandora and Jay-Z’s recently released Tidal, the CD and physical music store are reportedly in sharp (and potentially terminal) decline. But a curious development in music consumption has seen vinyl, the format ostensibly rendered extinct by the compact disc with its “perfect” digital sound, make an unlikely but significant cultural and commercial comeback.
In an era in which even digital album sales have fallen, vinyl has bucked the trend. In 2014, record sales grew by more than 50% to hit more than a million, the highest since 1996—and the upward curve has continued in 2015.

The revolutionary design feature of CD players was their ability to enable listeners to skip tracks and reshuffle albums. Vinyl, on the other hand, was and is different. Track skipping is a tricky business and, due to the fragility of the discs, you run the risk of dropping the stylus and causing damage. Consequently, the album as a track-by-track experience (as intended by the artists and central to the listening experience of classic LPs such as Dark Side of the Moon) has returned.
Vinyl not only sounds different, but it also has a possessive quality that intangible downloads and streaming lacks. The iPod looked set to do away with “record collecting in the traditional sense,” but collecting is actually an intrinsic part of vinyl’s allure. An LP is an object and one that comes with a certain “ritual” behavior, from the opening of the sleeve and the gentle handling of the disc, to the aesthetic qualities of the cover and the inner sleeve designs with its artwork (often considered to be art and diminished on thesmaller CD case) and printed lyrics.

Another great way to resurrect the groovy charm of vinyl is to upcycle it!

While compact discs might make convenient coasters, and cassette tapes might not be much good for anything at all, vinyl records are actually an amazing medium from which to create everything from works of art to home accessories. We have come up with a few items, that you will want in your life.

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We appeared on a local television show this past fall, here is the segment for your enjoyment. If you're having difficulty viewing the video click on classic at the bottom of the page.